Things to do in North Carolina
35 places worth stopping for and 15 places to stay on a road trip through North Carolina.
See and do
- Walk
Walk · Hot SpringsHidden gem
Max Patch
A grassy bald with 360-degree views, reached by a short climb from a gravel car park.
Town · OcracokeHidden gem
Ocracoke Island
Remote island village reached by ferry, with a lighthouse and a wild beach.
Beach · Harkers IslandHidden gem
Cape Lookout National Seashore
Remote ferry-only beaches and a diamond-patterned lighthouse.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Linville Falls
Linville Falls
Short wooded walks to overlooks of a two-tier waterfall dropping into Linville Gorge.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Linville FallsHidden gem
Wiseman's View
Gravel-road overlook straight into Linville Gorge, famous for watching sunrise.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Linville
Grandfather Mountain Mile High Swinging Bridge
Cross a suspension bridge a mile above sea level, then walk the ridge trails.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Burnsville
Mount Mitchell summit
Drive almost to the top of the highest peak east of the Mississippi.
- History
History · Asheville
Biltmore Estate
America's largest private home, with gardens, a winery and miles of grounds.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Gatlinburg
Clingmans Dome
A paved half-mile climb to an observation tower on the Smokies' highest peak.
Wildlife · Maggie ValleyHidden gem
Cataloochee Valley
Remote valley with free-roaming elk and old homesteads, on the quiet NC side of the Smokies.
Walk · Waynesville
Graveyard Fields
Looping trail past waterfalls and blueberry meadows high on the Parkway.
- Walk
Walk · Barnardsville
Craggy Gardens
Rhododendron-covered balds with a short climb to a big-sky pinnacle.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Chimney Rock
Chimney Rock State Park
An elevator and stair climb up a granite monolith above Lake Lure.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Gatlinburg
Newfound Gap
The pass across the Smokies, with big views from the state line.
- Wildlife
Wildlife · CorollaHidden gem
Currituck Beach Lighthouse and wild horses
Red-brick lighthouse plus the wild Corolla horses on the 4WD beach.
Walk · Nags Head
Jockey's Ridge State Park
The tallest sand dune on the east coast, good for sunsets and kite flying.
History · Buxton
Cape Hatteras Lighthouse
The tallest brick lighthouse in the US, moved inland in 1999.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Sapphire
Whitewater Falls
At about 411 ft this is one of the highest waterfalls in the eastern US.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Cedar Mountain
DuPont State Recreational Forest
Triple Falls, High Falls and Bridal Veil Falls on easy forest roads.
- Walk
Walk · WaynesvilleHidden gem
Black Balsam Knob
A grassy bald at 6,214 ft on the Parkway with views for miles.
- History
History · Blowing Rock
Moses Cone Memorial Park
A grand estate with a crafts shop and carriage roads for easy walking.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Maggie ValleyHidden gem
Waterrock Knob
Highest drive-to viewpoint in the southern Parkway, with a short walk to the summit.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Brevard
Looking Glass Falls
A 60-foot waterfall you can see from the roadside in Pisgah National Forest.
- Walk
Walk · Laurel SpringsHidden gem
Doughton Park
A quiet stretch of Parkway with long meadows, pioneer cabins and good ridge walks.
History · Atlantic BeachHidden gem
Fort Macon State Park
Brick fort at the end of a barrier island, plus a good swimming beach.
- Beach
Beach · Kure BeachHidden gem
Fort Fisher State Recreation Area
Quiet, undeveloped beach and rock shoreline at the Cape Fear tip.
History · Nags Head
Bodie Island Lighthouse
Striped lighthouse above a marsh boardwalk, great at sunrise.
- Viewpoint
Viewpoint · Pinnacle
Pilot Mountain State Park
A knob of quartzite rising from the plain, visible for miles.
- Scenic drive
Scenic drive · Linville
Linn Cove Viaduct
An S-curved concrete bridge hugging Grandfather Mountain on the Parkway.
- Town
Town · Hot SpringsHidden gem
Hot Springs, North Carolina
A small Appalachian Trail town with mineral hot tubs by the French Broad River.
- Waterfall
Waterfall · Cherokee
Mingo Falls
A 120 ft cascade reached by 161 steps from a free car park.
- Museum
Museum · Pisgah ForestHidden gem
Cradle of Forestry in America
Historic forestry school site with short trails and old buildings in Pisgah National Forest.
- History
History · CherokeeHidden gem
Mingus Mill
A working water-powered mill that still grinds corn on the Oconaluftee side.
History · Kill Devil Hills
Wright Brothers National Memorial
Where the first powered flight took place in 1903.
- Roadside oddity
Roadside oddity · Valle Crucis
Mast General Store Valle Crucis
Original 1883 general store with penny candy and a woodstove.
Food stops
Places to stay
- Campground
Campground · Great Smoky MountainsHidden gem
Cataloochee Campground
Remote Smokies valley with elk.
Campground · Cape Hatteras National SeashoreHidden gem
Ocracoke Campground
Beach campground on the Outer Banks.
- Campground
Campground · Ocracoke
Ocracoke Campground
Oceanfront NPS camping on a ferry-only island.
- Campground
Campground · WatervilleHidden gem
Big Creek Campground
Tiny tents-only camp by Big Creek and Mouse Creek Falls.
Campground · Blue Ridge ParkwayHidden gem
Julian Price Campground
Lakeside camp near Blowing Rock.
- Campground
Campground · Blowing Rock
Julian Price Park campground
Lakeside Parkway campground near Blowing Rock with paddling and a flat lake loop.
- Motel
Motel · Waynesville
Pisgah Inn
Parkway lodge with balcony rooms and a restaurant high on the ridge.
- Campground
Campground · Carolina BeachHidden gem
Carolina Beach State Park
Campground among Venus flytraps with a marina on the Cape Fear River.
Campground · CherokeeHidden gem
Balsam Mountain Campground
Highest-elevation camp in the Smokies at 5,300 ft, cool in summer.
- Campground
Campground · Bryson City
Deep Creek Campground
Camp near Deep Creek's waterfalls and the famous tube run.
- Campground
Campground · Danbury
Hanging Rock State Park
Quartzite cliffs, waterfalls and a lake beach with a campground.
- Campground
Campground · Roaring Gap
Stone Mountain State Park
A 600 ft granite dome and 200 ft waterfall in a state park with camping.
- Campground
Campground · Brevard
Davidson River campground
Large forest-service campground on a trout stream near Looking Glass Falls.
- Campground
Campground · Laurel SpringsHidden gem
Doughton Park campground
Quiet Parkway campground on high meadows, a long way from the crowds.
- Campground
Campground · Cherokee
Smokemont campground
Big riverside campground on the NC side of the Smokies, close to Cherokee.
More regions
- California
- Texas
- Oregon
- Colorado
- Florida
- Washington
- Utah
- Arizona
- Michigan
- New Mexico
- Hawaii
- Montana
- Alaska
- Wyoming
- Illinois
- South Dakota
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Nevada
- Georgia
- Kansas
- Virginia
- Idaho
- Missouri
- Oklahoma
- Maine
- South Carolina
- Nebraska
- New York
- Kentucky
- Pennsylvania
- North Dakota
- Iowa
- Louisiana
- Arkansas
- Ohio
- Indiana
- New Hampshire
- Mississippi
- Vermont
- Massachusetts
- Alabama
- Connecticut
- New Jersey
- Rhode Island
- West Virginia
- District of Columbia
- Maryland
Plan the drive, not just the stops
Roadtrip works out what the drive costs in fuel for your car, splits it into days with the best stops and places to sleep, and finds the cheapest fuel on the way.
Rated 4.7 by drivers · 700,000 downloads
